Russia has put out for public consultation draft rules that would ban foreign-flagged merchant ships older than 40 years from its ports, as Moscow tightens control over the ageing fleet that carries much of its seaborne trade.
What the draft proposes
- Foreign-flagged ships: barred from Russian ports once they pass 40 years of age.
- Russian-flagged ships: a separate limit of 50 years, with transition rules linked to their class certificates.
- Annual inspections for foreign ships over 30, to confirm they meet safety and environmental standards. The Russian Maritime Register of Shipping would issue the certificates.
- Ships would be judged on inspection and repair history, technical condition and insurance cover.
- Cargo contracts would have to specify compliant ships, and terminal operators would take on extra responsibility for checking vessels.
If adopted, the law would take effect 180 days after official publication.
Still a proposal
The transport ministry first floated the 40-year limit in July. But replacing old tonnage is a real challenge: deputy transport minister Alexander Poshivay said last month that the restrictions would not be adopted until Russia was sure it could secure replacement ships, admitting that domestic yards face limits on capacity, price and build times.
For the wider market, the move is a reminder that very old ships face shrinking trading options, a trend that also feeds the ship recycling business, including the yards at Sitakunda in Bangladesh.
Based on reporting by Splash247, 2 November 2026.
Photo: Representative image: ships at the port of Vladivostok (2024). Vyacheslav Bukharov / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
